Morning Security Brief: U.S. Airport Security, Wikileaks Oversight, Times Square Bomber's Average Past, & Chicago Security Costs

♦ The case of two Yemeni detained in the Netherlands on suspicion of terrorism after departing from the United States highlights the strengths and weaknesses of U.S. airport screening and security. "U.S. Homeland Security officials, who allowed the men to fly despite suspicious circumstances, concluded that the system worked properly. A suitcase containing strange items was scrutinized, and the men were monitored as they continued their trips, officials said," reports The Chicago Tribune. "But counter-terrorism experts said U.S. authorities, unable to sort out exactly what they had on their hands, should have taken more time in their searches and questioning of the men, one of whom was in this country on an expired visa, a law enforcement source said. That in itself would be a crime." While the two suspects, who apparently do not know each other, continue to be detained by Dutch authorities, the United States has washed their hands of them. "The bottom line for us is they don't have any charges here. We've told the Dutch that we don't see anything derogatory on these individuals' records or about their story, so we're done with it at this point, the whole U.S. government," a U.S. official told the Tribune.

♦ An ex-CIA case officer says WikiLeaks provides a necessary watchdog service but that its disclosures should not be the sole decision of its creator. "Robert Baer, who spoke at the Security 2010 conference in Sydney today, supported Wikileaks as a valuable institution to hold government to account, but said a 'single individual' — founder Julian Assange — should not have power to decide which state secrets are made public," reports ZDNet Australia. "They're diplomatic communication secrets [where] someone like me can't decide whether it should remain a secret," Baer said. "Who decides: inspector generals or independent citizens, maybe, but definitely not private citizens."

♦ In other U.S. airport security news, The Hindustan Times reports that extra security at a Washington-area airport infuriated the Pakistan government recently. The Pakistan military delegation was invited to the United States by the U.S. military's Central Command (CENTCOM), which oversees the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The delegation...was subjected to unwarranted security checks at Washington airport by the US Transport Security Agency," the army said in a statement. "As a result of these checks, military authorities in Pakistan decided to cancel the visit and called the delegation back." Statements by the Pakistani and U.S. military did not disclose when the visit actually occurred.

♦ A recently released Pakistani man detained in connection to the botched Time Square attack says that failed bomber Faisal Shahzad was your average young man when he knew him. "Mohammad Shafiq Rahman told The Associated Press on Tuesday that he was a computer programmer working 18-hour days in Connecticut when he met Faisal Shahzad through his employer's brother," according to the news wire. "Rahman said he and others joined Pakistani students on weekends at Shahzad's dorm in Bridgeport, Conn. He recalled Shahzad as a typical student who drank and partied."

♦ Windy City taxpayers spent a hefty sum to protect lakefront festivals in 2009. "Chicago taxpayers spent more than $2 million policing lakefront festivals last year -- $1.5 million of it for Taste of Chicago alone -- underscoring Mayor Daley's desire to privatize the events and the difficulty he may have in doing so," reports the Chicago Sun-Times. "The staggering tab for police services does not include a private security contractor hired by the city to assist with crowd control and 'work the gates,' officials said."